County asks legislators for ability to compel residents to tie into utilities

by Quinton Sheppard - Posted on Dec 11, 2013 - 12:30 PM

Gloucester County is once again asking the Virginia General Assembly to allow it to have the ability to require its residents to connect to county water and sewer if hookups are available.

The request was listed as the top priority to be sent to Del. Keith Hodges (R-Middlesex) and State Sen. Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg) to be considered for legislation in the coming session.

The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in March 2012, requesting consideration of the matter by the General Assembly.

This year, Gloucester went a step further. The board took a different approach, asking the General Assembly to allow all localities in the commonwealth which own and maintain their own water and sewer systems to have the ability to require residents to connect to the system where it is available and where the elected governing body is in control of the utilities system.

About 10 localities are included in the list of counties currently able to ask for the provision, according to county attorney Ted Wilmot. Gloucester is the only county to his knowledge that is actively seeking to be added to that list.

According to the resolution, the county’s authority to require connection to the county’s water and sewer systems would support the viability of that system and would serve to protect public health and safety.